Hair clip retainer

ABSTRACT

A hair clip retainer having a body portion and a resilient biasing member connected to the body portion and extending therefrom, which is used for wrapping and retaining hair therein. A decorative portion is releasably connectable to the body portion by magnets, by clasps, or by snaps. By virtue of the decorative portion being releaseable, many variations of the decorative portion can be used, thus enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the hair clip retainer.

This invention relates generally to an apparatus for styling hair. More specifically, the present invention relates to a hair clip retainer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

It is well known that previous devices have been used in the past for hair styling and binding. U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,240, for example, is directed to a hair gripping device that has a first decoration clamp device and a second decoration clamp device connected to the first decoration clamp device. The first decoration clamp device has a distal click flange, and two first elastic plates. The second decoration clamp device has a push plate, a click portion, and two second elastic push plates. The distal click flange of the first decoration clamp device engages with the click portion of the second decoration clamp device. Another type of such device is U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,159, which is directed to a hair clasp that encircles and binds braids of hair.

Still further types of prior art hair clips use pivotable jaws that are generally known as butterfly clips. These clips comprise two jaw members having tines and being joined along a pivot axis. A spring arrangement is provided at the pivot axis to resiliently urge the tines of the jaws to a closed position to grip the hair. To enable the tines to be disengaged and the jaws opened, the jaws are provided with lever members extending therefrom at a position away from the tines. This gives the clip the classic ‘butterfly’ appearance and hence its common name. The problem is devices such as there is that although these clips are easy to use, the spring and pivot mechanism are not very aesthetically appealing.

While prior known hair styling devices have proven to be relatively commercially successful, none are without drawbacks or inherent limitations, such as inadvertent opening of the device, and tangling of the wearer's hair within the device, as well as being re not very aesthetically unappealing. It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an improved hair clip retainer that overcomes the deficiencies in the prior art, and which is aesthetically appealing. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object and advantage of the present invention to provide an improved hair clip retainer which is aesthetically appealing.

It is yet another object and advantage of the present invention to provide an improved hair clip retainer that is simple to use, and which possesses a decorative cover or portion attached by magnet, by clasp, by snaps or other form of attachment.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hair clip retainer comprising a body portion; a resilient biasing member connected to the body portion and extending from the body portion, the resilient biasing member being used for wrapping and retaining hair therein; a decorative portion releasably connectable to the body portion.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hair clip retainer Comprising a body portion having two opposed ends portions and a middle portion, the middle portion having a lesser diameter than that of the end portions; a resilient biasing member connected to the body portion and extending from the body portion, the resilient biasing member being used for wrapping and retaining hair therein; and a decorative portion releasably connectable to the body portion.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hair clip retainer comprising a body portion having two opposed ends portions and a middle portion, the middle portion having a lesser diameter than that of the end portions; a resilient biasing member connected to the body portion and extending from the body portion, the resilient biasing member further comprising an elastic connected at a first end thereof to the body portion, and a second end connected to a loop member for wrapping and retaining hair therein; and a decorative portion releasably connectable to the body portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of an embodiment of the hair clip retainer of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the decorative portion for the hair clip retainer of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the embodiment of the hair clip retainer of the present Invention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of a further embodiment of the hair clip retainer of the present Invention;

FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of a further embodiment of the hair clip retainer of the present Invention;

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of a further embodiment of the hair clip retainer of the present Invention; and

FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of a further embodiment of the hair clip retainer of the present Invention;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In terms of describing the individual components of the system in greater detail, and with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the hair clip retainer of the present invention is designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 1. With further reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, there is shown an exemplary embodiment of the the hair clip retainer of the present invention.

The hair clip retainer 1 will comprise a body portion 3, a resilient biasing member 5 connected to the body portion 3 and extending from the body portion 3. Of course, the resilient biasing member 5 is used for wrapping and retaining hair therein. In an exemplary embodiment, a decorative portion 7 is releasably connectable to the body portion 3. With reference to FIG. 2, a decorative portion 7 covers a top surface of the body portion 3, but it will be understood that decorative portion 7 could be utilized anywhere on the body portion 3, and can comprise different shapes, sizes or images thereon, which could be varied. The decorative portion 7 is connected to the body portion 3 by magnets, by clasps, or by snaps or other means which would be apparent to one skilled in the art. Further, the decorative portion 7 can be releaseably detached from the the body portion 3, whereby another decorative portion 7 could be used, thus enabling many variations of the decorative portion 7 to be used, and enhancing the aesthetic appeal of hair clip retainer 1.

Preferably, the body portion 3 is made of plastic, though it is conceivable that other materials could also be utilized, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art. The size and shape of the body portion 3 can also be varied, as would also be understood. Further, as shown in FIG. 4 in an exemplary embodiment, the body portion 3 further comprises two opposed ends portions 9, 1 land a middle portion 13, the middle portion 13 having a lesser diameter than that of the end portions 9, 11.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the resilient biasing member 5 can essentially be an elastic, or variation thereof, which is connected at a first end to the body portion 3, and a second end connected to a loop member 15 for wrapping and retaining the hair therein. As shown in FIG. 4, a further embodiment of the resilient biasing member 5 illustrates this the resilient biasing member 5 as being merely an elastic, without a loop member 15. Of course, a length of the resilient biasing member can be varied, as would be understood by one skilled in the art.

FIG. 5 illustrates a further exemplary embodiment. In all embodiments shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, it will be understood that decorative portion 7 covers a top surface of the body portion 3. The body portion 3 can possess a hole 17 in the center thereof, in order to allow the passage of a hair elastic 5. This will allow, for example, a hair elastic 5 to clip on either side. The body portion 3 can be made of metal (such a chrome) or it could be made of plastic with a piece of metal on top and bottom to allow a magnet to adhere.

FIG. 6 illustrates a further exemplary embodiment. In this embodiment, the elastic 5 is pinched at 19, which will allow the wearer to loop it over the body portion 3. The elastic 5 is capable of being removed from the body portion 3. This will allow the wearer to change the elastic if they want to have it a different colour.

FIG. 7 illustrates a further exemplary embodiment. In this embodiment, the elastic 5 is adhered to one side of the body portion 3.

The present invention has been described herein with regard to preferred embodiments. However, it will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein. 

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. A hair clip retainer comprising: a body portion; a resilient biasing member connected to the body portion and extending from the body portion, the resilient biasing member being used for wrapping and retaining hair therein; a decorative portion releasably connectable to the body portion.
 2. The hair clip retainer of claim 1, wherein the decorative portion is connected to an end of the body portion.
 3. The hair clip retainer of claim 1, wherein the body portion further comprises two opposed ends portions and a middle portion, the middle portion having a lesser diameter than that of the end portions.
 4. The hair clip retainer of claim 1, wherein the decorative portion is connected to the body portion by magnets, by clasps, or by snaps.
 5. The hair clip retainer of claim 2, wherein the decorative portion is connected to the end of the body portion by magnets, by clasps, or by snaps.
 6. The hair clip retainer of claim 1, wherein a length of the resilient biasing member can be varied.
 7. The hair clip retainer of claim 1, wherein the resilient biasing member is an elastic.
 8. The hair clip retainer of claim 1, wherein the resilient biasing member further comprises an elastic connected at a first end thereof to the body portion, and a second end connected to a loop member for wrapping and retaining the hair therein.
 9. A hair clip retainer comprising: a body portion having two opposed ends portions and a middle portion, the middle portion having a lesser diameter than that of the end portions; a resilient biasing member connected to the body portion and extending from the body portion, the resilient biasing member being used for wrapping and retaining hair therein; and a decorative portion releasably connectable to the body portion.
 10. A hair clip retainer comprising: a body portion having two opposed ends portions and a middle portion, the middle portion having a lesser diameter than that of the end portions; a resilient biasing member connected to the body portion and extending from the body portion, the resilient biasing member further comprising an elastic connected at a first end thereof to the body portion, and a second end connected to a loop member for wrapping and retaining hair therein; and a decorative portion releasably connectable to the body portion.
 11. The hair clip retainer of claim 1, wherein the body portion is made of plastic.
 12. The hair clip retainer of claim 1, wherein the body portion further comprises an opening defined therethrough, the resilient biasing member being connected to the body portion through insertion through the opening.
 13. The hair clip retainer of claim 1, wherein the resilient biasing member is connected to the body portion at one side of the body portion. 